Privacy Policy - Gradmig

Effective date: [Effective date]. Last updated: [Last updated date].

GradMig respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect through our website at [gradmig.ca] and our advisory services, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and the choices you have. We handle personal information in accordance with Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy laws.

1. Scope

This Policy applies to personal information we collect from prospective and current clients, website visitors, newsletter subscribers, and individuals who contact us. It does not apply to third-party websites we link to, each of which has its own privacy practices.

2. Personal Information We Collect

We collect only the information we reasonably need to provide our Services. Depending on how you interact with us, this may include:

Identity and contact details — name, email address, phone or WhatsApp number, and country or city of residence.
Education and background information you choose to share — academic history, transcripts, test scores, statements of purpose, CVs, and similar materials for the purpose of advisory support.
Immigration-related information you choose to share — such as study, work, or residency history relevant to the guidance you request.
Booking and communication records — consultation requests, messages, and notes from sessions.
Technical and usage data — IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, and similar analytics data collected automatically when you use the Site.

Please share only the information necessary for the guidance you are seeking, and avoid sending sensitive documents you have not been asked to provide.

3. How We Collect Information

We collect personal information directly from you — when you book a consultation, fill in a form, subscribe to our newsletter, email or message us, or share documents during an engagement. We also collect technical data automatically through cookies and similar technologies (see Section 8).

4. Why We Collect It — Purposes

We use personal information for the following identified purposes:

To respond to enquiries, schedule and deliver consultations, and provide the advisory and mentorship Services you request.
To prepare and review application materials and provide tailored guidance.
To communicate with you about your engagement, including updates and follow-up.
To send you newsletters and informational updates, where you have given express consent (see Section 7).
To operate, maintain, secure, and improve the Site and our Services.
To meet legal, regulatory, and accounting obligations.

5. Consent

We collect, use, and disclose personal information with your knowledge and consent, except where the law permits or requires otherwise. Consent may be express (for example, ticking the newsletter consent box) or implied by your actions (for example, providing your documents so we can review them). The form of consent we seek reflects the sensitivity of the information.

Withdrawing consent. You may withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice. If you withdraw consent, we may no longer be able to provide certain Services. To withdraw consent, contact our Privacy Officer (Section 12).

6. How We Share Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share it only as needed and as described here:

With your Advisor and our internal team, so they can provide the guidance you request.
With service providers who support our operations — such as website hosting, scheduling, email/newsletter delivery, and analytics — under agreements that require them to protect your information and use it only for the services they provide to us.
Where required by law, regulation, court order, or to protect our legal rights.
In connection with a business transfer (such as a reorganisation), subject to appropriate confidentiality protections.

We do not share your information with universities, government authorities, or other institutions without your direction or consent, except where required by law.

CASL — newsletters and electronic messages

We send commercial electronic messages, such as our newsletter, only to people who have given express consent through the opt-in checkbox on our subscription form (never pre-ticked), in line with Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). We keep records of the consent given, including the date. Every commercial message identifies GradMig, includes our contact information, and offers a working unsubscribe option. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any message or by contacting our Privacy Officer.

7. Electronic Communications and Newsletter (CASL)

When you subscribe to GradMig updates, you provide express opt-in consent to receive commercial electronic messages from us. We will only send the categories of message you signed up for — such as admissions deadlines, immigration policy updates, scholarship information, and scholar insights. You may unsubscribe at any time; we action unsubscribe requests promptly and, in any event, within the period required by law.

8. Cookies and Analytics

Our Site uses cookies and similar technologies to make the Site work, remember your preferences, and understand how the Site is used. Some cookies are necessary for the Site to function; others, such as analytics cookies, are used only where permitted and help us improve the Site. You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings, though some features may not work as intended if you do. Where we use an analytics or consent-management tool [name the tool(s) actually used — e.g., the cookie-consent plugin and any analytics service], it is identified on our cookie notice.

9. Storage, Retention, and Security

We retain personal information only as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, to provide ongoing mentorship where you have asked us to stay in touch, and to meet legal and accounting requirements. When information is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymise it.

We use reasonable physical, organisational, and technological safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information — including access controls, secure hosting, and encryption in transit (HTTPS) — to protect against loss, theft, and unauthorised access, use, or disclosure. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Cross-Border Data Transfers

GradMig serves clients in Canada and abroad, and some of our service providers may store or process information in countries other than your own, including Canada. Where information is transferred across borders, it may be subject to the laws of the country in which it is held, and may be accessible to courts, law-enforcement, and authorities in that country. We take reasonable steps to ensure that any provider handling your information offers a comparable level of protection. By using the Services, you acknowledge this transfer and processing.

11. Your Rights

Subject to certain legal exceptions, you have the right to:

Access the personal information we hold about you and ask how it has been used and to whom it has been disclosed.
Request correction of information that is inaccurate or incomplete.
Withdraw your consent to our use of your information, as described in Section 5.
Ask questions or raise a concern about how we handle your information.

To exercise any of these rights, contact our Privacy Officer (Section 12). We will respond within the time required by PIPEDA. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.

12. Privacy Officer and Complaints

GradMig has designated a Privacy Officer who is accountable for our compliance with this Policy. You can reach our Privacy Officer at:

[Privacy Officer name], Privacy Officer, GradMig (Zaman Professional Services Inc.)
Email: [privacy@gradmig.ca]
Post: [registered office address], Ontario, Canada

If you are not satisfied with our response to a privacy concern, you have the right to contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) at priv.gc.ca.

13. Children’s Privacy

Our Services are intended for prospective and current students who are generally of, or approaching, the age of majority. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without the consent of a parent or guardian. Where a younger applicant is involved, we expect a parent or guardian to participate in the engagement. If you believe we have collected information from a minor without appropriate consent, please contact our Privacy Officer so we can address it.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or the law. We will post the current version on the Site and update the “Last updated” date. Where changes are material, we will take reasonable steps to bring them to your attention.

15. Contact

For any question about this Privacy Policy or our handling of your personal information, contact us at [info@gradmig.ca] or write to GradMig (Zaman Professional Services Inc.), [registered office address], Ontario, Canada.